Unsafe agricultural tractor and trailer safety arrangements
First to latest report 10 Jul 2015 — 26 Sep 2025
Reports that mention this concern
4
Times this concern has been raised
5
Stated actions linked to this concern
11
What this concern includes
Includes dedicated safety-system failures affecting agricultural tractors and trailers, including current guidance for road use, coupling and braking controls, safe extraction or recovery methods, maintenance safeguards and related operational arrangements where these directly control tractor-and-trailer risks.
What is not included
Excludes generic agricultural staffing, training or record-keeping deficiencies unless they directly impair an agricultural tractor-and-trailer safety control.
Excludes ordinary farm operations, vehicle maintenance or road-user hazards where no tractor-and-trailer safety arrangement is identified.
Excludes general vehicle approval or road-infrastructure concerns not specifically tied to agricultural tractor-and-trailer safety.
Excludes unrelated trailer, vehicle or machinery hazards without an agricultural tractor-and-trailer connection.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Department for Transport2
Agricultural Engineers Association1
Bailey Trailers Limited1
British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association1
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency1
Health and Safety Executive1
Ministry of Defence1
National Farmers' Union (NFU)1
Ministerial department3
Private limited company1
Road and vehicle agency1
Trade association1
Workplace safety regulator1
Type not available1
Reports and published responses 4 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Concerns raised1
Lack of legal requirements for servicing and maintenance of agricultural tractors outside road traffic requirements
Linked response
Department for Transport
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Department for Transport
Continue monitoring the effectiveness of vehicle safety regulations to identify potential amendments.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Department for Transport
For private-land incidents covered by health and safety legislation, enforcement responsibility rests with the Health and Safety Executive.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Derby and Derbyshire
Concerns raised2
Failure of current agricultural tractor and trailer safety arrangements to keep pace with changing road use
Lack of periodic independent vehicle testing for tractors and trailers used on roads for agricultural purposes
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Agricultural Engineers Association
British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association
Department for Transport
Health and Safety Executive
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
Agricultural Engineers Association and British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association
Operate the Agricultural Tractor-Trailer Scheme, combining roadworthiness inspections, brake performance testing, technician approval and refresher training.
Agricultural Engineers Association and British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association
Produce, update and disseminate guidance on legal requirements and practical measures for safe tractor and trailer braking.
Health and Safety Executive
Publish and make freely available guidance on the safe selection, use, inspection and maintenance of agricultural machinery, including tractors and trailers.
Department for Transport
Instruct officials to examine further measures for ensuring the roadworthiness of tractors, trailers and coupling devices.
Department for Transport
Continue monitoring the effectiveness of vehicle safety regulations to identify potential amendments.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.4
Health and Safety Executive
Use of agricultural vehicles on public roads falls outside HSE’s workplace health and safety enforcement remit.
Outside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Agricultural Engineers Association and British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association
The Secretary of State for Transport must decide whether to introduce compulsory roadworthiness testing for agricultural tractors and trailers.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Health and Safety Executive
Public-road vehicle testing, safety features and coupling requirements are matters for DVSA or other appropriate organisations.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Department for Transport
Annual roadworthiness testing was not extended to slower agricultural tractors because their road use was considered too limited to make it proportionate.
No action considered necessaryThe respondent said that no further action was needed.
West Yorkshire Eastern
Concerns raised1
Lack of mechanical propping devices on agricultural trailers
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Bailey Trailers Limited
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
Bailey Trailers Limited
Design tipping trailers so routine maintenance does not require work beneath a raised body.
Bailey Trailers Limited
Manufacture all tipping body models with hinged mechanical body props as standard safety features.
Bailey Trailers Limited
Revise the Operation and Maintenance Manual to require safe deployment of body supports and prohibit work beneath an unsecured raised body.
Bailey Trailers Limited
Use safety decals to reinforce that users should not raise the trailer body unless necessary and securely supported.
Exeter and Greater Devon
Concerns raised1
Failure to teach or recognise alternative trailer-extraction manoeuvres
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Ministry of Defence
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Ministry of Defence
Review the training package and determine that additional recovery manoeuvres should not be taught to vehicle operators.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Ministry of Defence
Existing recovery arrangements restrict driver/operator recovery to available unit equipment, so additional manoeuvres need not be taught to vehicle operators.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Ministry of Defence
Specialist recovery techniques and assistance are assigned to Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers personnel rather than ordinary vehicle operators.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.